Heart Disease is Growing

Unfortunately, heart disease is projected to rise by 46 percent by 2030 resulting in more than 8 million people with heart failure, according to the American Heart Association’s 2017 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update.

In an area of 57,000 people where 20 percent are aged 65 or greater, potential cardiac issues may become significant. According to the 2016 Park County Community Health Assessment, heart disease was identified as the second highest cause of death in the area following Cancer.

Additional and relevant top causes of death in Park County alone include lung disease, stroke, and liver disease, each of which has scientific evidence of being linked to heart issues. Obesity, identified as one of the top five health issues impacting the service area has been proven to have a negative impact on heart function which automatically increases the risk factor for a large portion of the population. The community at large has a need for close, high-quality cardiac services via the Cody Cardiology Center.

Physicians may recommend cardiac catheterization for a number of reasons, the most common of which is to evaluate chest pain. The three major components of the Cody Cardiac Catheterization lab are:

• The cath lab itself and the procedures that can be performed there
• The medical practice environment located at the Cathcart Health Center, and;
• Community and patient education focused on effectively managing heart disease

Each of the three components listed above work in coordination to provide a comprehensive cardiology medical practice, improve patient outcomes and promote wellness and health in the region.

The Cody Cardiology Center’s team now includes two full-time interventional cardiologists, Thomas Wolford, M.D. is currently seeing patients and Thomas Edwards, M.D., will begin seeing patients this September 2019.

Interventional Cardiologist, Thomas Wolford, M.D., is an accomplished Board Certified Cardiologist with more than 30 years’ experience. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri and completed his internship and residency at Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Wolford completed his cardiology fellowship from Emory University Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia and pursued a Heart Transplant and Heart Failure Fellowship with St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He has provided interventional cardiology services at St. Vincent’s Cardiology Clay County in Middleburg, Florida for the previous seven years but is now serving patients right here in Cody, Wyoming at the Cody Cardiology Center.

Dr. Thomas Edwards, M.D., has had a successful career in interventional, device and general cardiovascular medicine and board-certified in General Nuclear and Interventional Cardiology with over 27 years of experience. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Oral Roberts University School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah and completed his cardiology fellowship with Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Cody Cardiology Center has relocated to the first floor of Cody Regional Health’s Cathcart Health Center at 424 Yellowstone Avenue, Suite 140.